Careful, She's Sharp

*Warning: the following is the lengthy, more cerebral, and less succinct breakdown of how my latest piece evolved, which includes photos. Feel free to scroll down to the bottom to read the condensed version, a sassy poem, and view a quick time lapse video of the creation process.

I recently finished the mosaic above entitled, Careful, She’s Sharp: A Woman’s Voice. This concept began with a crude sketch that vaguely resembled a soundwave. Careful, She’s Sharp: A Woman’s Voice is a nod to that soundwave. Though mostly pleasant, a woman’s voice is not always perceived as strong, and all too frequently, is dismissed. This frustratingly archaic practice still permeates today's society, from professional realms to everyday interactions with strangers to the dicey dynamics of interpersonal relationships.

​​I knew I wanted this piece to be layered, with a textured white background that would be interesting on its own, but secondary to the real star of beautiful stained glass.

The white background also has a line of Italian smalti, (thick Italian glass) bisecting its horizontal center. I cut the smalti into a triangle shape and then placed it pointed side up.

​Mosaic is not a fast art.  It is very methodical in that every aspect requires thought—material selection, cuts, and placement. None of these decisions are happenstance. This slow process also allows for quite a bit of life contemplation as an artist creates a piece. After I carelessly sliced my finger on one of those sharp points, the title “Careful, She’s Sharp” came to mind.

​The title was the catalyst that led me to think about the various connotations of the word “sharp”. I pondered how women use their wit, intellect, gumption, and voices to change their situations. These voices serve as both literal and symbolic soundwaves of declarations that referred back to my initial sketch.

My own circle of friends happens to include quite a few beautiful, smart women that can speak to be heard. I have several friends that have recently left long term marriages, relationships, jobs, or locales that weren’t serving their needs. They found the guts to say, “I'm gonna change this."  There have been reclamations of former selves and former lives because they made their voices heard. It took courage and I applaud them for leaving their comfort zones and speaking up.

Yes, we live in the 21st century, but also, yes, women's voices are still not heard like they should be. So old, so yesterday, but tragically, still so damn prevalent. Careful, She’s Sharp represents a defiance of that notion.  Women are creatures of beauty to behold, but as there always has been, there are layers upon layers of beauty, sharpness, strength, and discoveries to examine and respect.  Careful, She's Sharp is my reminder. You just have to listen.

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*Condensed version:   “OOOooh, look! Pretty, sparkly glass. Let’s layer it!

*Sassy poem: 

​Careful, She’s Sharp
 
Go ahead, take a shot
But careful where you aim
Her words are all she’s got
Though her mission is the same
Her tongue her only weapon
Used with quick precision
If bitter stares do threaten
There is no indecision
Oh, she’s sharp, that one
She’ll cut you like that knife
She’s finally found the guts
To take back her own life
                                     Carolyn Wagner
                                     ©2022

*Time lapse video below of how this piece evolved:

P.S. This piece was created to be hung horizontally, but it can also be hung vertically. It is currently available for purchase at Coastal Art Center of Orange Beach.

Thanks for stopping by,